Poland has officially passed El Salvador to become the fifth-largest Bitcoin ATM hub in the world. They now have 219 active machines after a four-month installation push.
On January 27, Poland added 10 new Bitcoin ATMs. This boost took their total to 219, surpassing El Salvador in the rankings. The top four spots still belong to the US, Canada, Australia, and Spain.
Since October 2024, Poland has been on a roll, adding 24 crypto ATMs during this installation spree. Other countries like Canada, Spain, and Australia are also seeing a steady increase in their active crypto ATMs month after month, according to Bitcoin ATM Radar.
El Salvador, despite a strong start, is lagging behind now. The US and Canada lead the way with thousands of active machines. Back in October 2022, El Salvador was the third-largest crypto ATM hub after installing 215 machines to promote Bitcoin adoption. In January alone, Poland installed 12 new ATMs, with more expected before the month wraps up.
While crypto ATMs don’t directly drive local Bitcoin adoption, they do help raise awareness among citizens and assist those without bank access. Some regulators worry about the potential for misuse of these machines, like money laundering and terrorism financing. Still, they play a vital role in making cryptocurrency more accessible.
Right now, there are about 38,100 active crypto ATMs globally, spread across 65 countries and operated by 356 different companies. Australia has shown consistent growth in this area for nearly three years. In April 2024, Australia joined the ranks of the 1,000+ Bitcoin ATM club, along with the US and Canada.